Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn meets with Wan-Hea Lee (1st L), representative for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 14, 2017. Prak Sokhonn met with Wan-Hea Lee for the first time on Tuesday after the two sides reached a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) two months ago. (Xinhua/Sovannara)
PHNOM PENH, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn met with Wan-Hea Lee, representative for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia, for the first time on Tuesday after the two sides reached a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) two months ago.
The Cambodian government renewed in December the MoU allowing the OHCHR to continue its operational presence in Cambodia for another two years, after the OHCHR promised not to interfere in the country's internal affairs.
"Wan-Hea Lee informed the minister that this year was the starting year of re-strengthening cooperation between the OHCHR and the Cambodian government, and she vowed to do her best to build trust and confidence between the two sides," the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chum Sounry told reporters after the meeting.
For his part, Prak Sokhonn suggested that the OHCHR strictly respect Cambodia's sovereignty and not interfere in Cambodia's internal affairs in conformity with the UN Charter, said Sounry.
Both sides also agreed to hold regular consultations once every three months.
Cambodia has consented to the field presence of the OHCHR in the country since 1993 through a bilateral agreement, known as the MoU, which has been renewed several times.
